My Ex Next Door

Ken gulped and sighed, "Good Morning Mr. McSalter" he greeted in a cheered voice, but the man ignored him and narrowed his eyes.

"Get some clothes, we are going somewhere" Angelo spoke in a bitter voice and turned his back.

"I will meet you at the gate" then Angelo left.

Ken\'s skin shivered, imagining what Angelo has in his mind.

–

Minutes later, Ken went to the gate and saw Angelo in the driver seat of the car, the man lowered the window and yelled at him.

"Quick! Get in" the man spoke while frowning at him.

Ken poker his face, (I can\'t believe I also need to please Novie\'s family) he thought and get in the car.

They are driving for almost two hours, and the whole car was quiet while Ken watched at the passing road and saw the beautiful landscape of the Island.

Finally, Angelo park the car, Ken rubbed his eyes and he noticed that they are in the middle of nowhere.

Angelo came out of the car and Ken followed, as his feet felt the ground a cold wind blows that made his skin crawled.

He clutched his chest when his breaths quickened.

"Follow me," Angelo said without looking at him, Ken slapped his forehead.

(If I only know that today will be my last days, I should have convinced Novie to stay last night) he stomped his feet silently, annoyed by the situation.

"Are you coming?" Angelo yelled at him.

"yes" Ken replied in a faint tone.

As he walks inside the forest, mosquitoes and ants keep on biting his legs, he gradually stops just to scratch his leg and Angelo will look back and snarled, "Are you a man"

–

When Angelo stopped, Ken was out of breath, they walked for almost an hour and he doesn\'t know if there will be an end so when Angelo rested on the big rock, Ken rejoiced inside.

Ken looked at his feet, his legs were red by the insect\'s bites while his whole body sweats as if he just came out from the shower.

"Hey!" Angelo called him out, Ken looked at him and sat on the grass, he no longer cares if insects will find a way to bite his private parts, right now, all he wanted was to sit and rest his legs.

"You see that tree?" Angelo pointed at the tree on Ken\'s right side using his lips.

Ken followed it and found three coconut trees full of fruit.

"Yes. What about it?" Ken asked in between his breathing, they haven\'t drink any water since they left the house and if he only knew that they will go in the forest, he should have brought water with him.

"Go and get some coconuts, I will get a machete, try to practice climbing the tree" Saying that, Angelo got up and started leaving.

Angelo\'s words came as a complete shock to him, there\'s no way he could have predicted that Angelo will ask him to climb the tree.

Ken has never climbed a tree in his whole life, he rose from his seat and patted his back to remove the soil from his pants.

His shoulders sagged as he stared at the tree, it\'s too high and thin. When the wind blows, the tree followed its movement. Ken paled, thinking that if wind could rock the tree what will happen if he climbs.

Ken smacked his forehead, fearing his life. Suddenly his phone jingle and saw his girlfriends name.

The girl talked but Ken ignores it and said his goodbye if ever he will not make it out alive.

He quickly ended the call when he saw Angelo coming back with a machete in one hand.

"Here," Angelo handed him the machete, "Once you\'re up, you can use this to cut the fruits and just let it fall, you understand?" Angelo instructed him.

Ken hesitated to accept the machete and that made Angelo\'s expression darkened.

Ken gulped, Angelo\'s angry face is enormously scarier than his sister.

"Ken Chu, either you climbed that tree or I will use this machete to cut off your manhood" Angelo threatened him.

Ken knows that it\'s only a threat but based on the fire in Angelo\'s eyes, his mind convinced him that Angelo might really do it.

He shut his eyes and marched to the tree, he cleared his throat while his hand finds its way up the tree.

Ken tried to climbed multiple times but with the machete in his hand, he could not do it.

"You can use your mouth to carry the machete so you can climb easily" Angelo spoke from behind, Ken looked at him and his face went blank to see Angelo sitting on a chair playing with his cellphone.

(Where does the chair come from?) he exclaimed inside.

Earlier, he was dying to sit on the chair because of all the insects biting his legs and suddenly out of nowhere a chair popped out giving Angelo a pleasure to enjoy the cool wind and the scenery around.

Ken scratched his nose out of annoyance.

(One more time) he said to himself and climbed up, he keeps sliding down from the tree because of his sweaty hands.

With frustration, Ken slumped the machete on the grass and took off his shirt showing his body and the sweat around.

He brushed his hand on the soil to remove the sweat and exhaled.

–

Angelo parted his lips when he saw Ken almost reached the tip of the tree, he rose an eyebrow and immediately moved away when he saw Ken hitting one of the fruit and it\'s falling down to his direction.

(This man! is he doing this on purpose?) he blurted inside.

One after another, the fruit fell on the ground. When there\'s no more fruit left, Ken slides his body down and throw the machete on the ground.

Ken slumped his body on the grass while his back leaned at the tree.

He shoved his hair back away from his face and wipe the sweats in his forehead, then he looked at Angelo who had his lips parted in shock.

"Is that all?" he asked in a tired voice.

Angelo looked at him and handed him a white sack, Ken narrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"What should I do with this?" he asked.

Angelo picked up the machete and grabs the chair.

"Pick up all the coconuts and put it in the sack, once you finished we will go home" Angelo replied.

Hearing the word home, Ken\'s heart jumped and =immediately got up before Angelo changes his mind.

Ken picked up all the coconuts and closed the sack, he turned to Angelo who had a serious look while watching him.

"I\'m done Mr. McSalter" Ken carried the sack on his shoulder and met Angelo\'s cold eyes.

"You can call me papa from now on" Angelo stated in a robot tone and turned his back and walked away.

Ken\'s body frost, unable to move, shocked by his words.

(Does it mean he accepted me?) he asked himself in disbelief.

He thrust his fist in the air when he realized that Angelo had accepted him, all the tiredness he felt disappeared and his mood lightened up.

"Do you want to stay here?" Angelo\'s voice pulled Ken\'s spirit back, he smiled as a response and followed him.